Let's hear your Signature Stories! Here's my John Byrne Signed Experience 3 3

[Tghutcn]

I like the old judge dredd comics so I bought a couple of the books collecting them together and managed to get this one signed by the writer who created dredd and one of the artists and asked how much a sketch would cost he said he couldn’t do a full sketch because he had to go but would do a quick one for free what was nice and this is how it turned I couldn’t have been happier with the results of the sketch

[Randall Ries]

4 hours ago, HotKey said:

I have the worst John Byrne autograph story.

I won this in an online auction. I don't know if it's real. The end. 😁

Wow. That is one unfortunate drawing of She-Hulk.

[mr_highgrade]

4 hours ago, HotKey said:

I have the worst John Byrne autograph story.

I won this in an online auction. I don't know if it's real. The end. 😁

Who was the seller? 

[HotKey]

1 hour ago, mr_highgrade said:

Who was the seller? 

It wasn't ebay, it was one of those smaller local auction houses so I have no idea

[seanfingh]

I have to tell my Anthony Daniels story. I was helping Richie out at one of the WWChicago cons. It was the same year I met Ralph Macchio, who was so friendly and engaging. I can’t remember how many Star Wars guys were there or even if there were any other Star Wars guys. But I had two books in my hand that needed Daniels and one that didn’t. He was about $40 a sig at the time and he wasn’t ticketed, so you just paid him at the table. I handed him the $80 and had him sign the two books. He reached for the third and I was like “no, you don’t need to sign that.” I think either he had already signed it long before or it was just a two character cover and they didn’t want other actors. He got so ticked off that I wasn’t going to pay him to sign the third book. He was like “I’m Anthony Daniels blah blah blah.” Finally I was like “Man these aren’t my books. So I can’t do what other people don’t want me to do.” He got even more ticked off and went off on EBay and told me I was a leech and a dirtbag. It was great.

Edited April 6, 2021 by seanfingh

[Terry JSA]

It was HeroesCon 2019, first legitimate convention I attended (outside of local cons) and 17-year-old me didn’t really have much money. Neal Adams was there and I really wanted to meet him and have him sign some of my Green Lantern books. I only had $140 on me and had no idea that artists or writers charged for signatures. I get to the convention and the first thing I do is get a CBCS witness and then proceed to ask where Neal Adams was.

After I get the CBCS witness and get over to Neal, I asked if he could sign my books for me but he then proceeds to say “you’re a smart young man, read that sign for me” and the sign says “signatures for $50” and “$30 for photographs” and I just stood there and thought to myself that I didn’t have much cash on me. I chose to have my Green Lantern #85 signed for $50 but then decided I wanted a picture with Neal so I also spent $30, that’s $80 gone. 

After all that was done, I get back to the CBCS booth and get all the paperwork filled out (first time submitting a book to grading) and had no idea that the grading would add up to $60, so now that’s $140, basically all my money.

I thought to myself it was well worth it even though I became broke shortly after. I got the opportunity to meet one of my favorite artists and have him sign one of my books.

Edited April 14, 2022 by Terry JSA

[Jsmeadows]

I met Byrne in KC around 1994. He was at a con with Bernie Wrightson, Phil Hester (pre Bloodlines /Argus days for Phil) and iirc Fred Gorham among others. 

I had copies of Next Men and 2112 in hand for him to sign. I was a retailer at the time & wanted to tell him about the fan reactions to Next Men. He didn't want to talk to me - he proceeded to hit on my girlfriend at the time. IIRC dinner was offered and turned down. 

We broke up years later but I've still got the books and memories! 

[D2]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:55 AM, devilsrain said:

 

I imagine you walking around the conventions wearing an Ebay T-shirt.

I've only been accused of that with Good Ol' Walt Simonson. NYCC 2011 Hero Initiative booth.  Walt was doing sketches for $200.

Everyone seemed to be getting busts.  Thor holding the hammer, Thor chucking the hammer etc.  I walk up and say "make my Thor angry"..... Now of course, there's the mistake.  I wasn't specific. I should've said "I want Thor, arm extended into the air standing on a cliff with lightning coming out of Mjolnir"  I hadn't learned to be greedy with my sketch cover requests yet.  He proceeds to draw Thor's head similar to what you would normally get for free from him, maybe slightly worse.  Now (even then) I didn't really mind because I love supporting the Hero Initiative but I had seen him personalizing sketches.  So for $200, I don't want to see my stupid name on the artwork so I politely requested not to personalize it.   He looks me up and down * pauses * then says "ahhhhh, Ebay huh?"  I said No of course not (in my mind I was like.... well now yea)

Surprisingly, I still have the sketch!  

 

well, now yeah! LOL!

Someone else tried to personalize my book for me too, and I said no as well and got a funny look... who was it... they were personalizing everyone's book in line too... I can't remember who it was for the life of me.
I want to say it was Jim Lee, but I don't remember.

Anyway, I have some pretty bad sketch cover stories too... some really disappointing ones. One sketch cover that I have to say was amazing though was Jae Lee.

What a hero. I should post that story up of what he did for me in a separate story.

On 4/6/2021 at 7:19 PM, Terry_JSA said:

It was HeroesCon 2019, first legitimate convention I attended (outside of local cons) and 17 year old me didn’t really have much money. Neal Adams was there and I really wanted to meet him and have him sign some of my Green Lantern books. I only had $140 on me and had no idea that artists or writers charged for signatures. I get to the convention and the first thing I do is get a CBCS witness and then proceed to ask where Neal Adams was.

After I get the CBCS witness and get over to Neal, I asked if he could sign my books for me but he then proceeds to say “you’re a smart young man, read that sign for me” and the sign says “signatures for $50” and “$30 for photographs” and I just stood there and thought to myself that I didn’t have much cash on me. I chose to have my Green Lantern #85 signed for $50 but then decided I wanted a picture with Neal so I also spent $30, that’s $80 gone. 

After all that was done, I get back to the CBCS booth and get all the paperwork filled out (first time submitting a book to grading) and had no idea that the grading would add up to $60, so now that’s $140, basically all my money.

I thought to myself it was well worth it, even though I became broke shortly after. I got the opportunity to meet Neal Adams and have him sign one of my books with a witnessed signature! 

I've had a few run ins with Neal Adams too

He is so expensive...

Nice enough guy for sure, no complaints there. But when I met him, the stand out memory I have with him was when he laughed at how much he charged people for the side profile batman head sketches, I think they were something like $150 at the time, and he would joke saying he could just pump these out and sell them like hot cakes. He liked making money

On 4/12/2021 at 11:35 PM, Jsmeadows said:

I met Byrne in KC around 1994. He was at a con with Bernie Wrightson, Phil Hester (pre Bloodlines /Argus days for Phil) and iirc Fred Gorham among others. 

I had copies of Next Men and 2112 in hand for him to sign. I was a retailer at the time & wanted to tell him about the fan reactions to Next Men. He didn't want to talk to me - he proceeded to hit on my girlfriend at the time. IIRC dinner was offered and turned down. 

We broke up years later but I've still got the books and memories! 

LOL! Such a tool. What's shocking is they don't understand or realize the legacy that they leave behind. They think they are above their antics, meanwhile, as this thread clearly illustrates, these memories will live on forever.

Frank Miller met me and my gf at the time and he was super sweet about it. I had her stand in line to get a book signed for me because I had a few others to get done, and rather than juggle and potentially damage them, I gave her one.

So my gf goes up to Frank and hands him the book.

The first thing he says to her is: Oh... this isn't for you is it my dear? She said no, politely, and he laughed and said, well it's a pleasure to meet you anyway, and thank you for coming.

Still kept the book because he was such a good guy.

Edited April 15, 2021 by D2

[Matt1982]

I went to my first show in Chicago in probably 1984, and I’ve always loved and collected DD. Jim Shooter was sitting at a table, no line. I took him my books, one of which was DD 158. He signed it on the first page at the bottom in ball point pen, and told me all about his contribution to the book. He said he came up with the idea to have Deathstalker materialize inside a tombstone. I know he has a rep that he was hard to work with, but he talked to us for probably ten minutes. So nice - I’ve always remembered that.

[OtherEric]

My favorite is two different signings, decades apart.  Sometime in the late 80's- early 90's, Gil Kane was at a local show.  I got a handful of books signed; the one that stands out there was the Strange Adventures #184.  He started flipping through the book, slowly.  After a couple minutes, I asked him if something was the matter.  He said "I just haven't seen this story in years, my boy!"  He also signed a beat-up Spider-Man #96 that was, at the time, one of the only Marvel books by him I had.

Decades later, the late 2000's.  I finally get a chance to meet Stan Lee, and decide to have the Spider-Man #96 signed as well.  Having plenty of time to think about what to say, I shake Stan's hand and thank him for having entertained me all my life.  Without missing a beat, Stan replies, with his trademark twinkle in his eye, "You know I did it all just for you, right?"

(It doesn't hurt that the book is cover-dated the month I was born.)

Edited April 19, 2021 by OtherEric

[The Green Ghost]

JMS hates when you don't want him to personalize, I pissed him off badly one time. The reason was I learned my lesson from meeting him once before- his signature combined with my name made the cover look like a kindergartner went loose with the sharpies on the wall.

[JD112868]

Does John Byrne normally do private signatures once a year ?   He doesn't seem to come around that much.

[postersandstuff]

On 4/5/2021 at 3:35 AM, HotKey said:

It wasn't ebay, it was one of those smaller local auction houses so I have no idea

If it was Piece of the Past then i would worry.....or Hollywood Show

West (RIP) & Newmar would not sign w/o inscription at cons - manager Fred was firm on this rule , West had done this since around 2005. Yet what came from POTP all un-insc.

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by postersandstuff

[postersandstuff]

On 4/6/2021 at 8:42 PM, seanfingh said:

I have to tell my Anthony Daniels story. I was helping Richie out at one of the WWChicago cons. It was the same year I met Ralph Macchio, who was so friendly and engaging. I can’t remember how many Star Wars guys were there or even if there were any other Star Wars guys. But I had two books in my hand that needed Daniels and one that didn’t. He was about $40 a sig at the time and he wasn’t ticketed, so you just paid him at the table. I handed him the $80 and had him sign the two books. He reached for the third and I was like “no, you don’t need to sign that.” I think either he had already signed it long before or it was just a two character cover and they didn’t want other actors. He got so ticked off that I wasn’t going to pay him to sign the third book. He was like “I’m Anthony Daniels blah blah blah.” Finally I was like “Man these aren’t my books. So I can’t do what other people don’t want me to do.” He got even more ticked off and went off on EBay and told me I was a leech and a dirtbag. It was great.

I dont doubt you but hes right about POTP being a scammer however , besides this one , hes sold fake Bowie (dated '17 when he died 2016 , what clown forges these ?)

Elvis

Robert Shaw (dated a yr after he died)

Dean

Sinatra

Queen album

last 2 on ebay by moviemusiccollect

Edited April 10, 2022 by postersandstuff

[postersandstuff]

Met Slater/Warner , they sgd my BTAS 4 pack mib , nice people....also Adams , he just chatted with his buddy and didnt even say thanks even i spent 100£

Baker/Mayhew (you didnt miss much , sour pusses. Even Steven Berkoff was better)

Bulloch/Prowse (conveyor belt feeling but they were okay)

McDiarmid/Goffe (very nice)

Got sgd movie posters/brochures.....

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by postersandstuff

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

I sent in 4 books to the Terry Austin in house signing 3 of which will have to make a return trip. 

Two of those I had signed by John Byrne (at different cons. (Can not remember which as I have been to so many and several I have had John Byrne sign when I could) 

This is one. (Has to go back for bubble/debris on inner well back .)

The other was signed on interior page ( by both John Byrne and Terry Austin, but they failed to even mention "writing" on the pages . (The other copy I sent at the same time looks the same, but had a double cover )

you can see the last book and the whole story /submission here.

 

 

[OJ Pimpson]

A long and not at all interesting story about Jim Lee. 
 

I’m only inspired to share this after reading about Byrne flipping out about using any other color than black. I went to TorpedoCon last summer and paid for a sketch and 5-6 books to be signed. Due to Covid my work was slow and I was still working from home at that point. This left me with way too much time to prepare for this signing. Window bagged to perfection and also bought about a dozen different color Paint Markers. It didn’t occur to me that asking him to sign using my pens, switching out each one for each individual book might be annoying until I was in line and more so when I didn’t see anyone in front of me provide their own pens or seemingly ask him for specific colors. When I got to the front of the line I almost chickened out but I had spent probably $60 on these markers and Jim Lee was my childhood God and I knew I was keeping these forever. He did the sketch first, and while it’s  my nature is to be rather introverted it felt odd to just stand their for the 3-4 min it took for him to draw it so I mentioned to him that this was the first con I had been to since I was ten years old when he and the other X-men creators toured the country in 92 promoting the new title. (Funny thing back then he did a sketch on a T-Shirt for me and it cost $20, the cost he did for me at Torpedo cost $800 or $900 lol) He lit up immediately and started talking about how they had to organize that tour on their own and how difficult it was because they were all so young. He was so cool I felt like he wouldn’t decline using my markers So very sheepishly I asked if he’d mind using them. Of course he had no issue at all and as I handed him one marker after the other he asked curiously how I decided which colors to use on each specific book and gave his opinion on which color marker he would have used.  Incredibly nice man. 
 

TLDR:

Jim Lee is cool

Open to signing in any color marker

Edited April 14, 2022 by Dimez

[s-man]

I have been to very few cons in my life, mainly because I don't like to stand in crowds of people.  But one I attended was relatively small put on in Boston back in 2007.  David Finch was in attendance and I was and still am a big fan.   I learned he was doing sketches for a mere $40, so I jumped in line.  Can't remember how long I waited to get to him, maybe a half hour or so.  It was well worth it as I really liked the Wolverine head sketch that he did and I still possess.  But what struck me as being kind of sad was the other creators/artists seated at tables with their OA displayed for sale, that I was passing by on my way to Finch.  I noticed that nobody in line was paying much attention to them as we each filed by.  I just felt bad seeing them looking bored and thinking they must be a little annoyed that Finch was getting all the attention.  I imagine this still goes on today with the bigger artists garnering the bigger lines in front of the others in artist alley.

And this is the Finch head sketch..

 

And Finch was a great guy, answering all question put to him.  When he started this sketch though I was a bit skeptical because he started with a load of wavy lines, but the end result was awesome!

Edited April 14, 2022 by s-man

[harojchang]

I almost met Jim Lee years ago. He and Carl Potts were signing at Comics Unlimited in Norwalk, California for Punisher War Journal. I think it was Friday night. I got Carl's signature, and was waiting on Jim. I was a bit annoyed, since he was spending so much time speaking to another kid and doing a sketch for him (hey I was a teenager back then). I ended up leaving without his signature because I had to be somewhere, and was pissed. Looking back, I'm now more amused that I almost got a sig, and do appreciate that he spent so much time with another kid.

[seanfingh]

On 4/25/2022 at 7:25 PM, harojchang said:

I almost met Jim Lee years ago. He and Carl Potts were signing at Comics Unlimited in Norwalk, California for Punisher War Journal. I think it was Friday night. I got Carl's signature, and was waiting on Jim. I was a bit annoyed, since he was spending so much time speaking to another kid and doing a sketch for him (hey I was a teenager back then). I ended up leaving without his signature because I had to be somewhere, and was pissed. Looking back, I'm now more amused that I almost got a sig, and do appreciate that he spent so much time with another kid.

Just to make you feel better - I have owned about 50 Jim Lee signed books, but I have never owned a Carl Potts signed book.